Monday 30 July 2012

Music, Antics and World Domination

I caught up with the incredible York based folk band - Blackbeard's Tea Party, and asked them a few questions regarding performing as a group, plans for world domination and tips for those who want to busk.

+ How did you get together and form Blackbeard’s Tea Party?
The six of us were just knocking about in York with not much to do, playing in different bands for fun and busking together to earn some pocket-money. When we realised the six of us had some chemistry and were creating a bit of a following, we decided we ought to take it seriously. So, we went to a pub together and agreed we wouldn’t leave until the band had a name. When we stumbled out several hours later, we were Blackbeard’s Tea Party.

+ Did you all always aspire to be musicians, or did you have other plans?
We have always aspired to take over the world. Music is just a front.

+ What would you say is the best thing about your style of music?
Our style of music is hard to pin down. It’s a bit crazy, with elements of folk, rock, pop, world, gypsy, punk etc etc. The six of us each have very different tastes. Throw that into a pot and you get a very distinct sound. I think what sets us apart the most though is our energy and stage antics.

+ When it comes to arranging folk tunes, do you often have very different views on how something should sound or are you all roughly on the same wavelength?

We’re usually on totally different wavelengths! We spend hours and hours arguing – urm, I mean, ‘discussing’ – the tiniest section of one person’s part in a tune or song. We call these discussions “unspecified faffing time”.

But that’s all just par for the course. When the six of us are coming from such varied musical backgrounds we can’t all expect to agree all of the time. We respect each other’s musicianship enough to know that arranging has to be a democratic process. And from that compromise comes our unique sound.

+ What do you think is the most important thing to remember when you are performing live?
Enjoy yourself and give it some beans! We see so many buskers – and even bands on stage – who just look like they’re not excited to be there, or aren’t involved in what they’re playing.

+ At what kind of venues do you prefer to perform?
We’ll play anywhere! In a massive festival tent or a shed in someone’s garden. Because we have such a heavy, electric sound we go down well in the kind of venue where a mosh pit might get going. But of course, we’ve got a great following on the folk circuit, so we’re well seasoned in playing for a more restrained crowd too.

+ Can you offer any tips for busking?
Each town has different rules, so make sure you check them out beforehand – you can sometimes find them on different council’s websites. You might need a license to busk, and there may be places where busking is restricted.

Stay friendly with other buskers. Agree to share spots if there is high demand, and see if they can share tips about the best places to busk.

Bounce around and don’t be afraid to make a spectacle of yourself!

+ Do shopkeepers generally react well to your music?
Some love it, but some hate it. From time to time shopkeepers ask us to move on. But usually we stay polite, smile and charm them into changing their minds.

+ I read briefly about your encounter back in September, how you all cornered down the thief in Marks and Spencer’s, can you explain about what happened, and how (if at all) has it affected your view to the people who pass by you?
It was a sweltering summer’s day. The sun was high in the sky. There we were, innocently selling our wares, when all of a sudden a young scamp rushed past, snatched a couple of notes from our pot, and dashed off into Marks and Spencer’s.

The boys heroically ran after him bellowing cries of ‘STOP THIEF!’ while Laura held our ground, boldly playing through the drama. The boys managed to corner the vagabond in the lingerie aisle and tackled him to the ground. We managed to restrain the thief until the police made it to the scene. Ever since, we’ve been busking by day, and fighting crime by night.

We don’t worry too much about it happening again. Dave’s pretty big and scary looking, so most people don’t mess.

+ Any up-and-coming events planned?
We’ve got a really busy summer ahead of us playing 12 folk festivals, including Shrewsbury, Sidmouth and Cambridge. We’ve also got a couple ore gigs coming up in York – a free gig in the Fulford Arms on 31st August, as well as a Halloween party on 31st October where we promise a few spooky suprises. Our website has details of all our upcoming gigs.

+ Where do you think you’ll be as a group in the future?
In the next five years, we expect to have:
1. An on-stage gospel choir.
2. A pyrotechnic budget.
3. Our own TV show.
4. A seat in parliament.

Thank you to Blackbeard's Tea Party for answering my questions. If you want to find out more about Blackbeard's, here are links to their Facebook, Twitter and website.
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Tuesday 10 July 2012

I can't be bothered to practice! - 5 Useful Tips On Motivation

For some people instrument practice can be such a drag, especially for classically trained musicians. Scales, arpeggios, dominant and diminished sevenths, and if you're a lucky string player, octave scales and sixth scales etc. Practicing all of those theoretically vital gifts from the devil is generally enough to make you want to scream and definitely not pick up an instrument. Plus, even practicing pieces and tunes a musician of any level can go through a dry spell.

I've put some thought into my 10 years of musical experience and I've come up with a list of things that one can do to keep themselves motivated to play even dreary, boring things on an instrument.

1. Think about your goals on your instrument.
Not everybody wants to be a pro. In fact, many people take up an instrument purely for points to get into university. Evaluating what you actually want to get out of playing is a big help for time management. For example - is it vital that you practice scales for two hours every day, or can you give yourself a little bit of a breather? Some people say that you can never do too much practice, but I don't think that this is true. I have learnt from experience that over-practicing can lead to this dry spell and also to stress and anxiety relating to performance.

2. Stop practicing in big chunks!
Anything that you learn from practice needs to be retained in your long term memory. The chances are, if you are practicing solely for hours on end, you are not going to remember much from the beginning of your practice, you are going to get stressed and most likely agitated when things don't go your way. It works for some people, but not all. My teacher has always told me that short practices multiple times a day are the best, and I can honestly say that I believe this to be true. Half an hour here and there can soon add up to hours of practice without making you feel tired of playing.

3. Make a rough timetable.
Planning when you will practice what is a great idea to keep you on track. For example; certain scales and on certain days, or certain studies and techniques. For me, I like to practice all my scales and arpeggios earlier in the morning, my studies mid morning, my ukulele and vocals in the afternoon (both classically and jazz), and and other pieces for exams etc. in the evening.

4. Watch an inspirational video of a pro.
Needless to say, this is a very good way of motivating yourself if you wish to be just as good as them. Better, even. Always tell yourself that if you keep practicing you could become the best player in the world, and somebody that your muse looks up to, even. For me, I always find Mayuko Kamio's competition video from Tchaikovsky International makes me want to pick up my violin.


5. Give yourself a break.
If you've been working hard and find it impossible to motivate yourself, maybe you just need a break. Taking a day or two away from practice not only gives you space to breathe, relax and do what you want, but also can highlight the things that you are weaker on when you come back to practice, showing you what to work harder on. However, make sure to keep listening to music, as it might just motivate you to want to play.

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Monday 9 July 2012

Things That Bemuse Me #4: Contests, concerts, technology. No instruments?

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My showcase weekend is over, my college trial is finished, Music For Youth is done, only the tour to Berlin and Galtres festival left before September now. I'm planning on getting some charity work done at some point though, and maybe losing 20lbs, but other than that, I actually have free time now.

As you'd probably guess by the title, my showcase went well and I won three medals. Two bronze for dance, and my gold for singing. But, it was a shame really when I came to play because I was the only competitor who was playing an instrument, everybody else was using a backing track. Now, I think this gave me a bigger chance in the contest as I was different which *cough* of course isn't a bad thing, but it made me think about musicianship today and that kind of put a downer on my mood.

Something I'm aware of is that many people nowadays are lazy. They do whatever they can get out of doing a lot of things which might cause them to have to think or work. When I asked the other competitors if they played an instrument, only three out of the twelve said yes. When I asked those who had said no why, they replied 'I don't have the patience', and 'I did for a bit but then I gave up because I couldn't do it'. Those are things I just don't understand. I could understand if they had said it was because they would rather have done something else, but to say 'can't' and 'don't have the patience' is just the equivalent of 'I can't be bothered'.

Then I wonder, are they just drawing inspiration from shows like X Factor, where they prefer contestants to not play their instruments? When I asked the girls who did play instruments why they didn't play them to perform, they just said that it was easier to use a backing track. Does this show influence, laziness, or lack of confidence? Maybe it shows all three, but I personally feel that it's very much along the lines of 'oh we'll get rich and famous by chance and it'll be easy', which is what people often seem to think. The idea of having to work for that seems alien because of Youtube Stars and Televised Talent Contests

It's ironic really that I should be blogging about this subject, as since college I have decided upon taking Music Technology too, and had three trial lessons. Something I remember distinctly was my teacher telling us a story about the times before technology when Bach walked 250 miles to hear a recital by Buxtehude in Lubeck. That showed either that he was a super intelligent madman, or dedicated to his art. Let's go with the latter. The questions that I am mulling over here are these: Is technology used in performance making people lazy, and are live instrument-playing artists going to fade away in mainstream culture?

Note: I do not disagree with the use of technology. Wouldn't is be hypocritical of me to have a blog and disapprove of using a computer? 



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